Viking Magazine - September 2020 - 18

1.
His childhood
strongly
infl uenced his art.
Astrup grew up in Ålhus, a
rural village enveloped by
mountains along the shores
of Lake Jølster-a long,
narrow lake tinted green by
lush hillsides. The majestic
landscape sounds like the
perfect playground for a boy
to grow up in. However,
Astrup's childhood was rife
with restrictions and poor
health.
His father was a pastor
in town, but the family's
parsonage was old, damp
and cold. Astrup developed
asthma as a child and his weak lungs often confi ned him to
the indoors. (Years later, the parsonage would be condemned
and demolished.)
Outdoor adventure beckoned, as did lively folk customs
like Midsummer Eve. However, under the strict rule of his
father, Astrup was forced to spend much of his childhood as
a spectator.
While he was forbidden to freely roam and explore, Astrup
was able to let one part of him run wild: his imagination. He
" Midsummer Eve Bonfi re "
Oil on canvas, 1914-1915
became a prolifi c sketch artist in his youth, using scraps of
paper to draw doodles of trolls, trees and traditional farm
life. He preserved hundreds of these sketches in handbound
scrapbooks, which are now digitized and can be browsed
online.
Despite pressure to follow in his father's theological
footsteps, Astrup studied art in Oslo, Germany and Paris. But
his heart was bound to the beauty of western Norway, so he
returned to his roots and remained there.
2.
Mysterious imagery often lurks within his landscapes.
Biblical stories (from his father's vocation) were not the
only tales Astrup heard as a child; Nordic folklore and myth
also thrived in the region.
These fantastical fables must have affected him deeply, as his
painted landscapes often morph into mystical creatures: Snowy
mountains become sleeping ice queens; billowing bonfi res mimic
the serpentine form of a dragon.
In one of his most famous works, " Spring Night and Willow "
(which he portrayed several times, both on woodcut and
canvas), limbs of a willow tree stretch up toward the sky like the
arms of a goblin. Is the tree angry, or in agony? The ambiguity is
haunting, as is its devilishly dark form, which starkly contrasts
with the snowy landscape and pastel-tinted sky.
Astrup's appetite for eerie imagery was also inspired by
other artists, particularly Swiss symbolist painter Arnold Böcklin
(so much so that he named his fi rst son after him). Said Astrup
about the artist: " What is most exciting about his pictures is
their unexpectedness, a moment that sends a shiver down
one's spine, and yet one can enjoy the sight of them for a long
time afterwards. "
18 VIKING SEPTEMBER 2020 sonsofnorway.com
" A Morning
in March "
Oil on canvas,
c. 1920
DAG FOSSE / KODE / SAVINGS BANK FOUNDATION DNB / KODE ART MUSEUMS AND COMPOSER HOMES

http://www.sonsofnorway.com

Viking Magazine - September 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Viking Magazine - September 2020

Contents
Viking Magazine - September 2020 - Cover1
Viking Magazine - September 2020 - Cover2
Viking Magazine - September 2020 - Contents
Viking Magazine - September 2020 - 4
Viking Magazine - September 2020 - 5
Viking Magazine - September 2020 - 6
Viking Magazine - September 2020 - 7
Viking Magazine - September 2020 - 8
Viking Magazine - September 2020 - 9
Viking Magazine - September 2020 - 10
Viking Magazine - September 2020 - 11
Viking Magazine - September 2020 - 12
Viking Magazine - September 2020 - 13
Viking Magazine - September 2020 - 14
Viking Magazine - September 2020 - 15
Viking Magazine - September 2020 - 16
Viking Magazine - September 2020 - 17
Viking Magazine - September 2020 - 18
Viking Magazine - September 2020 - 19
Viking Magazine - September 2020 - 20
Viking Magazine - September 2020 - 21
Viking Magazine - September 2020 - 22
Viking Magazine - September 2020 - 23
Viking Magazine - September 2020 - 24
Viking Magazine - September 2020 - 25
Viking Magazine - September 2020 - 26
Viking Magazine - September 2020 - 27
Viking Magazine - September 2020 - 28
Viking Magazine - September 2020 - 29
Viking Magazine - September 2020 - 30
Viking Magazine - September 2020 - 31
Viking Magazine - September 2020 - 32
Viking Magazine - September 2020 - 33
Viking Magazine - September 2020 - 34
Viking Magazine - September 2020 - 35
Viking Magazine - September 2020 - 36
Viking Magazine - September 2020 - 37
Viking Magazine - September 2020 - 38
Viking Magazine - September 2020 - Cover3
Viking Magazine - September 2020 - Cover4
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